Tuesday May 31, 2022
A rare visitor in Israel. This 41 years old B737-200 was supposed to land in daylight but got delayed to 21:30. Photo: Yonatan alh/ Jet Photos
Mogadishu (HOL) - A Halla Airlines Boeing 737-200, owned by a Somali businessman named Ibrahim Hilowle, was seen landing at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel on Sunday.
The plane's owner spoke to VOA Somali and said his Kenya-registered aircraft carried passengers to Tel Aviv on a charter flight from Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta Airport.
The plane made stops in Uganda, Egpyt and Jordan before landing in Israel.
Hilowle said the reports on social media that his plane was registered in Somalia were false, adding that if it were, it would not be able to fly to Israel legally. He noted that his jet airliner, leased from Nairobi-based Penial Air, is registered as 5Y-CJQ, which signifies that the plane is registered in Kenya.
In solidarity with other Arab League countries, Somalia has never had diplomatic relations with Israel.